What happens if I dont pay a medical bill ?

Jumboman

I was in a private hospital last week I had few medical tests done to try and find the cause of the health issue I have, I payed for all the tests but I got a bill today for 200euro for a "consultation" I had with a consultant.

I only spoke to the consultant for about 5 minutes he told me he was not able to find the cause of the illness I have.

Anyway I find it extortion that I'm been asked to pay 200euro for a 5 minute "consultation" and he is not even able to find the cause of my illness.

I'm wondering what will happen if I dont pay this money will I end up in court ?

I dont see why I should pay for a service I'm not happy with. I'd gladly stand up in court and say I dont want to pay the bill because he has not helped me or found the cause of my illness If i spoke to him for 30 minutes than the 200euro could be justified but not 5 minutes. This to me isnt much better than a scam.

RobFowl

You pay for the consultants time and expertise. Presumably you were aware of the charge before you went and could have chosen not to go.
Most now send bad debts to debt collection agencies so if you don't pay up expect numerous letters, visits possible court appearances and a mark on your credit rating.


Edit €200 is taking the p*ss

shamrock55

Op i wouldnt pay either thats a disgrace, if you were told the cause of your problem you wouldnt mind the lack of time, these consultants get payed far too much money anyway its crazy

Vorsprung

If you had an issue with your car and ended up going to a few mechanics, with the problem only sorted by say the 3rd mechanic, would you not pay the first 2 because they couldn't figure it out?

aaakev

RobFowl wrote: »

You pay for the consultants time and expertise. Presumably you were aware of the charge before you went and could have chosen not to go.

Thats a pretty big assumption... Iv been in that situation where i got an unexpected bill for the same thing, didnt pay and sorted it out over the phone. I was not told i had to pay for having a chat with someone so i sure as hell was not going to pay afterwards!

El_Dangeroso

Vorsprung wrote: »

If you had an issue with your car and ended up going to a few mechanics, with the problem only sorted by say the 3rd mechanic, would you not pay the first 2 because they couldn't figure it out?

Most mechanics don't charge you if they don't fix the problem

OP you'll have to pay unless you want it to affect your credit rating. Although I agree 200 euro for 5 minutes and no benefit is a complete rip-off.

RobFowl

aaakev wrote: »

Thats a pretty big assumption... Iv been in that situation where i got an unexpected bill for the same thing, didnt pay and sorted it out over the phone. I was not told i had to pay for having a chat with someone so i sure as hell was not going to pay afterwards!

OP stated it was a private hospital. Would have been free if public.
All the consultants I know make people aware of the charge in advance.

aaakev

RobFowl wrote: »

OP stated it was a private hospital. Would have been free if public.
All the consultants I know make people aware of the charge in advance.

I had a minor procedure last year, 9 months wait for public or 3 weeks private at a cost of €1,200. I went private and was called back after for a quick checkup with the surgon/ consultant, no mention of an extra charge for this and he said he just wanted to check how it healed. Got a bill for about €250 a week later! I called and refused to pay it because i could have gone to my gp for this at a fifth of the cost. They agreed to leave it at that

Jumboman

Vorsprung wrote: »

If you had an issue with your car and ended up going to a few mechanics, with the problem only sorted by say the 3rd mechanic, would you not pay the first 2 because they couldn't figure it out?

Well if you payed a mechanic to do a number of tests on your car then at end of it he has a 5 minute "consultation" with you telling you he cant find the cause of the problem, you then get hit by a bill for 200euro for this "consultation" which is on top of the other bills you have already payed to have him look at the car, would you not think this is a compete rip off bordering on a scam ?

Anthony16

If it ends up in court you will definitely lose and will have to pay your solicitors fees as well as the solicitors fees of the person suing you(the hospital i assume) plus any interest which may have built up on the bill. Best thing is to pay the money and move on

Squiggle

Jumboman wrote: »

I was in a private hospital last week I had few medical tests done to try and find the cause of the health issue I have, I payed for all the tests but I got a bill today for 200euro for a "consultation" I had with a consultant.

I only spoke to the consultant for about 5 minutes he told me he was not able to find the cause of the illness I have.

Anyway I find it extortion that I'm been asked to pay 200euro for a 5 minute "consultation" and he is not even able to find the cause of my illness.

I'm wondering what will happen if I dont pay this money will I end up in court ?

I dont see why I should pay for a service I'm not happy with. I'd gladly stand up in court and say I dont want to pay the bill because he has not helped me or found the cause of my illness If i spoke to him for 30 minutes than the 200euro could be justified but not 5 minutes. This to me isnt much better than a scam.

Did you not get a letter from the consultant with details of your appointment and his consultation fee? Who ordered the tests?

0lddog

Some time ago, in my day job, we did a small amount of work for a consultant in a south Dublin private clinic ( to support some new test gizmo that he had got for his consulting room ) .

When all was complete and working he refused to pay. ( saying that he had not asked us to do the work ! ).

Having a medical degree and being a right chancer are not mutually exclusive

Vorsprung

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Most mechanics don't charge you if they don't fix the problem

Can I have the number of your mechanic??

The issue isn't the price, I'm not exactly a fan of private medicine but the fact that it is so prevelant is due to an ineffective public system (a rant for another day).

If it came to legal proceedings, I can't imagine that the case would be found in your favour, regardless of the ethics behind it.

Jumboman

Squiggle wrote: »

Did you not get a letter from the consultant with details of your appointment and his consultation fee? Who ordered the tests?

I was told I would have a consultation but I expected it would be in his office and last atleast 30mins like the last time I saw him I spoke to him for the best part of an hour.
I dont consider it a "consultation" coming to talk to me for 5mins just after he has done tests on me.

Jumboman

Vorsprung wrote: »

Can I have the number of your mechanic??

The issue isn't the price, I'm not exactly a fan of private medicine but the fact that it is so prevelant is due to an ineffective public system (a rant for another day).

If it came to legal proceedings, I can't imagine that the case would be found in your favour, regardless of the ethics behind it.

Would they really bring me to court for 200euro ? If it does go to court it could create a lot of bad publicity for the doctor in question.

Vorsprung

Jumboman wrote: »

Would they really bring me to court for 200euro ? If it does go to court it could create a lot of bad publicity for the doctor in question.

Haven't a clue! They all cost about 150-200 for a consult anyway!

Agnieszka_88

Jumboman wrote: »

Would they really bring me to court for 200euro ? If it does go to court it could create a lot of bad publicity for the doctor in question.

Only if the media pick up your story. You have no guarantee that they will, 200e is not enough money for the big media players and small newspapers get overlooked.

To be honest, I don't think they'd bring you to court. They'll probably sell your debt to a private debt company and they will wait it out until interest grows and then they will make sure that you pay it all back.

Make an official complaint to whoever is responsible for the billables in that hospital, send them a letter. If they decide you should pay the fee after looking into it, do it.

Jumboman

Agnieszka_88 wrote: »

They'll probably sell your debt to a private debt company and they will wait it out until interest grows and then they will make sure that you pay it all back.

Would they use violence to try and get the money back ?

If a private company came looking for money I would just tell them any issue over unpaid debt is between me and the doctor in question and has nothing what soever to do with them.

Murt10

Agnieszka_88 wrote: »

Only if the media pick up your story. You have no guarantee that they will, 200e is not enough money for the big media players and small newspapers get overlooked.

To be honest, I don't think they'd bring you to court. They'll probably sell your debt to a private debt company and they will wait it out until interest grows and then they will make sure that you pay it all back.

They cannot charge interest until it goes to court. Also I am sure that Boards members would be willing to email a few journalists and ask them to cover the case.

The embarrassment for the consultant to have to stand in court and say"I'm earning C200,000+ pa for my public work, plus whatever I can screw out of my private patients (which is a lot). I ordered tests which he paid for. I still don't know what is wrong with this man. Now I want my E200 for my consultation, (despite the fact, that by definition I must have ordered the wrong tests)"

I'd nearly take a 1/2 day off to go to that case myself

Anthony16

It doesnt matter what the person is earning. The fact is you paid for a service(a consultation,albeit a brief one) and are now refusing to pay. Was there anybody in the consultation room with you?Its your word against his I guess.
Now,do I think they will actually go after u for it?I doubt it.U will receive a letter in the post from their solicitor giving u a final chance to pay if they pursue it.
However,if u get that letter then I would pay at that stage as they can screw u with interest and sometimes attach it to any of your assets so that when u transfer it over to your children/nieces/nephews they will have to pick up the tab.The latter has happened in my area albeit over a bill of 1500euro

Murt10 wrote: »

They cannot charge interest until it goes to court. Also I am sure that Boards members would be willing to email a few journalists and ask them to cover the case.

The embarrassment for the consultant to have to stand in court and say"I'm earning C200,000+ pa for my public work, plus whatever I can screw out of my private patients (which is a lot). I ordered tests which he paid for. I still don't know what is wrong with this man. Now I want my E200 for my consultation, (despite the fact, that by definition I must have ordered the wrong tests)"

I'd nearly take a 1/2 day off to go to that case myself

Jumboman

Anthony16 wrote: »

Was there anybody in the consultation room with you?Its your word against his I guess.

Yes the nurse waited outside the room when the doctor came in to talk to me.

However,if u get that letter then I would pay at that stage as they can screw u with interest and sometimes attach it to any of your assets so that when u transfer it over to your children/nieces/nephews they will have to pick up the tab.The latter has happened in my area albeit over a bill of 1500euro

I dont have much money but if I wanted to give my money to someone I'd just give them cash, their is no way they could trace where the money has gone.

RobFowl

Murt10 wrote: »

They cannot charge interest until it goes to court. Also I am sure that Boards members would be willing to email a few journalists and ask them to cover the case.

The embarrassment for the consultant to have to stand in court and say"I'm earning C200,000+ pa for my public work, plus whatever I can screw out of my private patients (which is a lot). I ordered tests which he paid for. I still don't know what is wrong with this man. Now I want my E200 for my consultation, (despite the fact, that by definition I must have ordered the wrong tests)"

I'd nearly take a 1/2 day off to go to that case myself

Just because the tests di not confirm a diagnosis does not mean they were the wrong tests. Thats just nonsense. Excluding certain conditions is as important as diagnosing them at times.

Bottom line is that in private healthcare you have to pay to see a doctor. If you want to pay only for results you're happy with then by all means find a doctor willing to go along with that.

Generally the consultant won't bring you to court but offload the debt to a debt collection agency who certainly will....

Squiggle

Jumboman wrote: »

I was told I would have a consultation but I expected it would be in his office and last atleast 30mins like the last time I saw him I spoke to him for the best part of an hour.
I dont consider it a "consultation" coming to talk to me for 5mins just after he has done tests on me.

AFAIK a consultant has a set fee for a consultation regardless of whether it takes 5 mins, 10 mins or 25 mins. Did he charge you more for the " best part of an hour appointment " ? You accepted the appointment and I'd be surprised if you weren't advised of the fee in the appointment letter so you are liable. An appointment doesn't come with the proviso that the consultant will spend a certain length of time with you. That aside I don't think that a debt of €200 will be litigated in court. It will probably be passed to a debt collector who, BTW, must act within the law ! They can't harass you or threaten you in any way. Call the guards immediately if they do. The only way they can legally get the money from you is through the courts.

Jumboman

Squiggle wrote: »

AFAIK a consultant has a set fee for a consultation regardless of whether it takes 5 mins, 10 mins or 25 mins. Did he charge you more for the " best part of an hour appointment " ? You accepted the appointment and I'd be surprised if you weren't advised of the fee in the appointment letter so you are liable. An appointment doesn't come with the proviso that the consultant will spend a certain length of time with you. That aside I don't think that a debt of €200 will be litigated in court. It will probably be passed to a debt collector who, BTW, must act within the law ! They can't harass you or threaten you in any way. Call the guards immediately if they do. The only way they can legally get the money from you is through the courts.

Another problem I have with this "consultation" is that I had just been given an anesthetic and I was not in a fit state to properly communicate with him.

dissed doc

You feel bad because you got the advice of an experienced medical specialist without paying for it.

Dr Turk Turkelton

dissed doc wrote: »

You feel bad because you got the advice of an experienced medical specialist without paying for it.

The experienced medical specialist doesn't seem to be that experienced in medicine if he can't come up with an answer for the op!

Also private debt collection agencies have no legal standing in Ireland-just bin their letters with nothing to worry about or hang up the phone.

dissed doc

Cuchulainn1. wrote: »

The experienced medical specialist doesn't seem to be that experienced in medicine if he can't come up with an answer for the op!

Also private debt collection agencies have no legal standing in Ireland-just bin their letters with nothing to worry about or hang up the phone.

Doesn't matter. YOu want a specialist opinion, you have to pay for it. That goes for plumbers, hairdressers, or doctors.

beeno67

You may not need to pay this but thread carefully and don't go in with all guns blazing. You had a test that required sedation/anaesthetic. If you had health insurance the fee for the test would include all pre and post procedure care which would include consultation with the consultant (assuming he was the one doing the test). Therefore as he would be unable to charge you if you had health insurance it would be difficult for him to argue he can charge you just because you don't. Often these bills are simply sent out by the secretary without the consultants explicit knowledge. Don't ignore the bill. Phone the consultants secretary and discuss it in a calm manner. It may be easily sorted.

beeno67

aaakev wrote: »

I had a minor procedure last year, 9 months wait for public or 3 weeks private at a cost of €1,200. I went private and was called back after for a quick checkup with the surgon/ consultant, no mention of an extra charge for this and he said he just wanted to check how it healed. Got a bill for about €250 a week later! I called and refused to pay it because i could have gone to my gp for this at a fifth of the cost. They agreed to leave it at that

Just on this and as follow up to my previous post. If you have a procedure performed it includes all pre and post op care. Many consultants after surgery will tell you to attend your GP for removal of stitches or change of dressings. However you will obviously have to pay the GP. You can elect to return to the consultant who must remove the stitches or change dressings for free (I.e. you have already paid for it). You may be happy for the convenience of going to your GP and be willing to pay for this. If you are not simply return to the consultant and refuse to accept any nonsense that they will have to charge you.

Dr Turk Turkelton

dissed doc wrote: »

Doesn't matter. YOu want a specialist opinion, you have to pay for it. That goes for plumbers, hairdressers, or doctors.

Sorry but people who live in the real world do not charge a fee for spending five minutes telling you that they cant find a problem after getting paid to find said problem in the first place.

If I was a plumbing specialist and I couldn't find the cause of someones heating problem I would be embarrassed not charging them again.

"Specialist" my ass.

Alun

Cuchulainn1. wrote: »

Sorry but people who live in the real world do not charge a fee for spending five minutes telling you that they cant find a problem after getting paid to find said problem in the first place.

If I was a plumbing specialist and I couldn't find the cause of someones heating problem I would be embarrassed not charging them again.

"Specialist" my ass.

Rubbish. If someone has a medical condition where it isn't immediately obvious what the cause is, it can take visits to a number of different specialists to arrive at a correct diagnosis. Believe me I've been there, done that.

Each specialist is exactly that, a specialist in his own very specific field, not just a 'medical' specialist, and if he, for example, is a neurologist, and finds absolutely nothing neurological as a suitable explanation for someone's symptoms, there's nothing more he can do.

The only solution then is to go back to your GP and get another referral to a specialist in the next most likely field, for example, a rheumatologist, and so on until you get a diagnosis.